Jakarta - Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM) will intensify crackdown on illegal drugs and foods in 2016. "We will crack down on counterfeit products for drugs and expired food," said BPOM chief Roy Sparringa on Tuesday, January 12, 2016.Roy's statement was made in response to strategic issues related to the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC). The strategic issues include public services, national health insurance (JKN) program and community empowerment. "These issues are the basis for BPOM's new system from Watch Dog Control to become Proactive in 2016," Roy said.

Roy said that one of BPOM's action to support the AEC in 2016 will be encouraging businesses to keep innovating and creating products with high marketability. "They need independence, technical guidance and assistance on prevailing regulations so that there would be no mistake in product development," Roy said.

In addition, tp provide better public services, Roy said BPOM has made improvements in product standards, pre-market and post-market supervision efforts, and law enforcement.

"Electronic-based registration is also being developed for food and medicinal products," said Roy. This electronic system will also allow easy product registration for generic medicine industry.